Joe A. Guerra

Jose Antonio Guerra, Sr. (July 9, 1934 - September 15, 2010), known as Joe A. Guerra, was a businessman and a Republican political activist in the heavily Democratic city of Laredo, Texas. He served for twenty nonconsecutive years from two districts on the Laredo City Council, during which time he worked for the extension of Del Mar Boulevard to the interstate Loop 20, named for former Lieutenant Governor Bob Bullock.
Background
Guerra was born in Laredo to Jose Margarito Guerra (1904-2001) and the former Josefina Valls (1913-1998). Guerra attended Roman Catholic elementary schools and graduated in 1953 from Martin High School. In 1957, he graduated from in San Antonio, with a Bachelor of Science degree in chemistry and a minor in business. who served as the Laredo-area representative from 1993-2007, having never carried Webb County a single time in seven elections.
Guerra's city council service spanned two types of municipal government in Laredo. Effective with the 1982 elections, when Guerra did not seek reelection, the city changed from mayor-council government to the city manager format. He joined the council in 1970 from the downtown District 4 and served twelve consecutive years. His last two terms were in the Del Mar District 6 from 1994-2002. In his last term he was the dean of the council and the mayor pro tempore. He served on a city/county government consolidation plan, but the two entities have remained separate and not been merged. who still holds the position. In 2000, Guerra led the Pledge of Allegiance at a session of the Republican National Convention in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, which nominated the Bush-Cheney ticket. On October 5, 2000, Guerra was honored for his dedication to public service on the floor of the United States House of Representatives by then Representative Henry Bonilla. Guerra's convention role was highlighted the next day in a front-page photograph in the Laredo Morning Times.
His city council service corresponded with the tenure of each of four consecutive Laredo mayors, J. C. "Pepe" Martin, Jr., Aldo Tatangelo, Saul N. Ramirez, Jr., and Betty Flores. The interstate loop, on which Flores and Guerra worked together, was finished while Guerra was still a council member. Guerra was also a key supporter of Mayor Tatangelo's massive street-paving project, which began on an experimental basis in the San Ignacio neighborhood at Tatangelo's personal expense during the last Martin administration. Prior to the Tatangelo program, most of Laredo's streets were unpaved.
Personal life
On December 27, 1961, Guerra married Rebeca Josefina "Josie" Flores (August 27, 1938 - April 30, 2013), who later became an active figure in the pro-life movement. They had eight children: Joe A.Guerra, Jr., Rebecca G. Doyle, Dr. Maya G. Zuniga, Alfonso Gerardo Guerra, Alfredo Tomas Guerra, Carlos Luis Guerra, Monica G. Jones, and Maria Eugenia "Eugie" Guerra. Guerra had eleven grandchildren and numerous nieces and nephews.

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